Father Philippe's thoughts on peace

I mentioned earlier that I was blessed to hear Father Jacques Philippe speak during Advent.  Father Philippe's book "Searching for and Maintaining Peace: A Small Treatise on Peace of Heart" has made a deep and lasting impact in my life, particularly when it comes to discerning God's will.  I wrote a story about his talk for a local paper, The Catholic Times, and thought I would share it here.  It seems fitting for Lent.

Fr. Jacques Philippe recently spoke at St. Pat's in Brighton about what he called one of the “biggest challenges” Christians face – living in Christ's peace.

Philippe, the author of books on prayer and spirituality, regularly preaches at retreats in France and abroad.

He pointed to the fact that we often hear in the news that we live in a world in crisis. Philippe said, “The more the world is in crisis, the more we should be at peace. This is our most powerful testimony – that in spite of our many difficulties, our heart is still at peace.”

He explained this kind of peace does not mean we are “stronger, more intellectual, or have found a solution others haven't.” Philippe said the peace he means is something Christ gives us.

 

It is important to “try as much as possible to not let ourselves be agitated,” Philippe said, because “the more our heart is at peace, the more the Holy Spirit is able to guide us. It is in peace that God accomplishes great things. It is in peace that God can work in the depths.”

Philippe explained that peace is an important ingredient in discernment, because it helps “the decisions we make (to not be) inspired by fear, or the need to protect ourselves, but out of trust.”

Philippe then discussed aspects of our faith that can help us be open to receiving Christ's peace. Eucharist and confession are two important tools in living and maintaining a life of peace, he said.

Perhaps the most important thing that helps us be at peace, said Philippe, is to have faith – to be “convinced of the power of God's love for us.”

“Our degree of peace (is tied to) the degree to which we believe,” he said. “That's why declaring a Year of Faith in the midst of crisis is a great inspiration.”

 

Philippe explained that regularly turning to God's Word can help increase our faith, and our belief in God's love for us. “The Word of God has an authority and strength no human word has,” he said. “We can have (many) reasons to be anxious, but just one Word of God can give us back courage and trust.”

Philippe shared that another aspect of peace is to “be reconciled with one's weaknesses,” and to accept oneself as being little and poor before God.

“God is not scandalized by our limitations; He knows what we are,” explained Philippe. This knowledge should encourage us to trust that “God loves me just as I am,” he added.

Reconciliation is another important aspect of peace, said Philippe. He discussed reconciliation both in terms of forgiving those who have hurt us, and in being reconciled to the difficulties inherent in our lives.

“Instead of dreaming about another life, we need to accept the life God gave us,” he explained. “It's in the real life that God heals, and touches, and saves us.”

The final point Philippe discussed was the importance of prayer.

“We can only find peace through prayer, through contact with God,” he said. “In prayer, I stand face-to-face with God like a little child, and I receive His heart.”

The key to a fruitful prayer life, said Philippe, does not lie in emotions, in a lot of words, or in wearing ourselves out with many prayers. He said the key lies in faithfully persevering in praying at least a little time every day, and in remaining trusting and simple before God.

“The most deep and beautiful prayer is to give God permission to love me just as I am,” said Philippe. “We want to say, 'Wait until I've made myself better,' but that's focused on self. It's in welcoming God's love that I will change.”

Philippe also recommended a weekly hour of Adoration: “At the end of the hour, my problem may not have been solved, but my heart has been pacified, and I can deal with the situation. When we simply come into God's presence, there is something of God's peace that comes into our lives.”

Philippe said that Therese of Lisieux often would fall asleep during prayer, a situation made understandable when one considers her young age and the many demands of convent life. Nevertheless, St. Therese comforted herself with the thought that, “What's important is not what she does for God, but the love God has for her, which is the same whether she is awake or asleep,” said Philippe. He added, “Sometimes when God wants to work deep in us, He makes us very poor and powerless.”

“No deep life of prayer exists without going through moments of poverty,” he said. “Before God, we have the right to be poor. That's not always the case in our society. (But in God,) we have the right to take our rest.”

Acquiring inner peace is a journey worth making, concluded Philippe. He quoted St. Seraphim of Sarov by saying that, in doing so, “many will find salvation around you.”

To learn more about Father Philippe, visit his website at www.frjacquesphilippe.com.